Day by Day

It seems like this week has been a little overwhelming. Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork & not that much time. I'm working on getting someone to do the haying this year. Good discussion & we are on the same page but it was suggested I talk to some friends about how to work the deal.

Then there is Mom, who is concerned about her taxes & wants me to hurry up & help her with her stuff. Luckily I have the main checkbook. I filed everything in her file box & I have the key. So hopefully I'll be able to find most everything I need to fill in her blanks & send it off to the accountant.

Then there is Dennis stuff & I'm way behind on that. I need to see the lawyer soon & get stuff started. Then there is my stuff & the farm stuff (all this stuff is paperwork). Dennis has always done the farm stuff...........I didn't want to get involved, let him work on it. Well, now I have no choice.

I was thinking this morning how it all seems like a really bad dream. The shock of finding him is with me all the time. The loss of him is so much and so many of his ideas & plans. But it isn't a bad dream it is real & I need to get myself in gear to get paperwork done.

Through it all I know God is in it & is helping and guiding................
God is good.

Work & Witness

We had a sending service for the Work & Witness team tonight. It was a good service, just sad since Dennis was planning on going on this trip. He so enjoyed the last one a year ago in January. But it was good to pray for the team. They are leaving early tomorrow & will be gone close to 2 weeks. I have picked two special women to pray for during this trip--women that I felt God had put on my heart to be in pray for. Please be in prayer for this group of men & women from our church.

The Fox

I've seen "the fox" north of the house out in the field a number of times. He/she walks from the west toward the east early in the morning. Sometimes she seems to get close to the north loafing shed. I've seen footprints of "something" that walks mostly on top of the snow that we've had. They appear to be fox size or maybe skunk size or cat size (oh yes, I've smelled the skunk around before too).

This morning when I went out to feed, it was a little later than usual, probably 9:45 or so. By the time I made it to the yearling boys to the east of the barn it was probably about 10. As I was taking their hay out I heard a strange noise, kind of like a crow with a hoarse "caw" or a dog with a funny bark. I didn't pay a whole lot of attention until I looked at Azugar the older male alpaca. He was giving his "alarm" call that he does on a regular basis (I think he does it for practice, no one else has ever given the "alarm" call). Anyway I looked toward the old railroad car & discovered something was walking close by. I froze as it was about 25 ft. away. Sure enough, it was the fox. She was so pretty, bright red with a fluffy tail. She stopped & sat by the railroad car. I suddenly wondered where Jamie was as she typically follows me out to feed the boys..........luckily Jamie had stayed in the barn. I went over & shut the barn door to make sure she didn't come out. When I turned around the fox was gone. Perhaps I should take my camera along when I feed these days.

Lemon Tree

Dennis saw this lemon tree in Safeway early last May. He just "had" to have it. And I guess why not since we have a sun room........otherwise it would not survive in the Valley very long & for sure not produce fruit. So we bought it. All the blossoms dropped off & the lemons also. But by October it had blossomed again & this time some of the lemons stayed. I believe there are around 11 lemons on the tree and it has been blossoming again. Just in the last two weeks have the lemons turned yellow............everyone would look at the tree & say, oh a lime tree. Well, here is the proof that it is a lemon tree & I think by the end of the week we will have a lemon to add to something, tea?

Pizza Hut

Tomorrow is our neighbor's birthday. I think she'll be 83 or so. Anyway I try and remember Freda's birthday every year. So I called her & ask if she'd like to go out to eat today or tomorrow. She decided today & we decided on Pizza Hut. So at 5:30 we took off for Pizza Hut. We placed our order, received our drinks & waited & waited & waited & waited. There was no one else sitting in the restaurant except one young girl across the room, whom the waitress kept going over & talking with (she was also texting periodically). A number of people came in & picked up orders that had been called in. I finished my salad, Willie finished his soda, I finished my hot tea & we waited. Finally the girl came over & apologized. She forgot to enter our order (that's why the breadsticks had not arrived either). She said our meals would be on the house (now I like that kind of birthday celebration). She said it would take just 7 minutes, then hurried back to ask us our order again. She also took my hot tea cup & Willie's glass to refill. Then she disappeared to clean the restrooms (easy enough to tell with the cleaning stuff). The young girl across the room finally brought my hot water over & I asked her for Willie's soda. Then we waited about 5 more minutes for our food. Our waitress finished with the bathrooms (hopefully washed her hands) & brought our food over. Then the young girl left. The waitress fill the salad bowls at the salad bar & brought other stuff for the salad bar & then left.

When we were finished eating I was a little concerned. I "presumed" that she had told the cashier, but had no clue. Then the cashier came over & asked about our meal, if it was ok & that it was on the house. He apologized for the waitress & then said that she was the manager!!! He apparently gave her a hard time, as he said "she left". Anyway we had a very nice birthday meal!!!

Snow, snow & more snow

Friday night the wind blew & blew & blew & it snowed & snowed & snowed. By yesterday morning we had drifts up to about 25 inches high or in the low windswept area of about 2 inches high. Such fun. I really thought that nothing more could go wrong with my ATV snowplow. I'd had the tire fixed twice, the last time included putting in a tube. But I was wrong. One of the long screws holding the snow plow together came apart..........the bolt & washer decided to come out. The entire plow blade & holder moved to the right when I hit the snow bank. I didn't really realize "what" was wrong, just knew I had a major problem & called a neighbor. Then we had to call another neighbor since the two of us coudn't get things just right. But I managed to find everything needed to fix it and heaped blessings on my neighbors for fixing it for me. I finally got the entire area plowed AND the area next to the hay stack (so when Bob, my hay man comes he can get in). So now in areas I have snow stacked about 3 1/2 ft. deep. I hope we don't get too much more snow as I will have to learn to drive the tractor & use the bucket next. All the alpaca seem happy which is good. I just wish it were warmer....................20 for a high is just a little cool. I'm looking forward to Spring.

Dennis Tribute - GFC

Here is the link to Pastor Bruce's tribute to Dennis that will take you directly to the page rather than skimming through.

http://glendorafriendschurch.blogspot.com/2008/11/tribute-to-dennis-smith.html

Dennis Smith, a special, wonderful husband

I'm actually putting the blog this way for a special reason. There have been a number of people from Aerospace in CA, who worked with Dennis before we moved to Monte Vista, CO. The friends have posted on our Pastor (Bruce) from CA's blog.
It is here: http://glendorafriendschurch.blogspot.com/

You have to go back about 2 pages to read the tribute to Dennis.

There were some tributes given during the service and many given to me verbally in person. After finding that some are posting on Pastor Bruce's blog I thought perhaps I would add a special posting here & now for anyone else who would like to post anything.

Willie & I are doing well. I have my moments that seem to be more frequent starting this month. But I'm sure it is because company has come & gone (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's etc.). Dennis is missed tremendously. When I think of all the changes Dennis made here on our property in the 4 short years we have been her, and all that he was working on and especially all the plans he had..................I miss him. Grieving is a long process and takes time and energy. But I praise God that HE is with me and know that the peace that I feel is from Him.

The New Year is here

We had a call about 4 pm last night from a widowed gentleman who goes to our church (he's only 88 yrs. old). Ed ask if Willie & I would like to go out with himself & 2 other widowers. I said sure. Ed is leaving Sunday to go to Jordan and home school some missionary children for 6 months (should be interesting for all). So we had dinner with Ed, Dick (also widowed), the pastor (whose wife is away), Gary (whose wife is away), and Dick's daughter. It was a good time and I'm glad we were remembered and offered the opportunity to go out.

Yes Pastor Bruce, we thought of you & GFC last night and the fun game party you were having. I think this year it would have been too much for me...........but I enjoyed reading your blog about it.

Today I invited a number of my high school classmates over. Out of the 45 of us I think there are close to 15 of us that live here in the valley. We were only able to get 5 of us together (lack of notice and decision to do it). But we had a good time together talking about years ago & also everything that has gone on since we graduated 40 1/2 years ago. It was good.

Happy New Year to each of you.